Biographical note

Kate DiCamillo is the author of many beloved books for young readers, including The Tale of Despereaux and Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures, both of which received a Newbery Medal; Because of Winn-Dixie, which received a Newbery Honor; The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, which won a Boston Globe-Horn Book Award; and the bestselling Mercy Watson series. Kate DiCamillo, current National Ambassador for Young People's Literature in the US, lives in Minneapolis.

In addition to illustrating The Tale of Despereaux, Timothy Basil Ering is the illustrator of Snook Alone by Marilyn Nelson and Finn Throws a Fit by David Elliott, and the acclaimed author-illustrator of The Story of Frog Belly Rat Bone and Necks Out for Adventure! and The Almost Fearless Hamilton Squidlegger. He lives in the USA in Kingston, Massachusetts, with his wife and sons.